- Dairy free
- Egg free
- Lactose free
- Nut free
- Shellfish free
- Peanut free
- Sesame free
- Seafood free
- High in dietary fibre
- No added sugar
- High in protein
- 1 serve veg or fruit
A retro family classic, this slow-cooked apricot chicken is jammy, packs a delicious savoury punch, and features juicy and tender chicken.
- Serves4
- Cook time6 hour 20 minutes
- Prep time15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/4 cup (35g) plain flour
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 40g pkt French onion soup mix
- 410g can apricot halves, drained
- 405ml can apricot nectar
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Steamed white rice, to serve
Nutritional information
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 3-4 mins or until onion softens. Transfer to the bowl of a slow cooker.
Step 2
Combine the flour and paprika on a plate. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture to evenly coat. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, turning, for 5 mins or until golden. Arrange the chicken over the onion mixture in the slow cooker.
Step 3
Sprinkle the soup mix over the chicken. Add the apricot halves and pour over the apricot nectar. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Step 4
Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a baking tray and cover with foil to keep warm. Increase the slow cooker heat to high. Simmer the sauce mixture, uncovered, for 5-10 mins or until sauce thickens slightly. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and turn to coat in the sauce.
Step 5
Sprinkle apricot chicken with parsley. Serve with rice.
Recipe tip
COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Clever storage: Frozen parsley keeps for longer than 5 days. To freeze, rinse and thoroughly dry the leftover parsley, then place in a freezer bag, shaking the bag so all the parsley collects at the bottom. Roll the bag tightly from the bottom to push air out, and keep rolling until it forms a cigar, then place in the freezer. To use, snip off however much parsley you want from the cigar.
Use it up: Apricot nectar is wonderful to add to sparkling water and cocktails, such as Millie Tang’s cinnamon and apricot spritzer. Like chicken, it’s also a lovely flavour complement for pork – try this apricot and rosemary glazed pork roast.
Apricot chicken slow cooker recipe
A 1970s classic, apricot chicken is a meal that many remember growing up with. All you need to make the Aussie version is chicken, apricot nectar, tinned apricots and French onion soup mix. It's a saucy and savoury dish with a touch of sweetness, complete with succulent chicken and burst-in-your-mouth apricots. If you have a full day of errands to run, this recipe is perfect as it requires only 15 minutes of prep. Chuck everything in a slow cooker and leave it bubbling away. When you get home, you’ll have a tasty dinner that’s ready to serve.
Tips for making this recipe for slow cooker apricot chicken
Here are our top apricot chicken tips:
- Brown the meat and veggies before adding them to the slow cooker. While this is not essential to cook them completely, it adds colour and more depth of flavour to slow-cooked dishes. If you have the time, it is definitely worth sealing or caramelising your ingredients before adding them to your slow cooker or crock pot.
- To find apricot nectar, search the juice or canned fruit aisle at the supermarket.
- Chicken drumsticks are excellent cuts of meat for this recipe. The darker meat is juicy and perfectly fall-apart tender when slow cooked.
Storing and serving this slow cooker apricot chicken recipe
To store, let the apricot chicken cool completely before transferring to an airtight container, and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will keep in a freezer-safe airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This slow cooked apricot chicken goes well with anything that allows you to enjoy the tasty sauce. We’ve used rice to soak up those delicious flavours, but you could also plate up apricot chicken with noodles, pasta, mashed potato or couscous. Serve with a side of steamed or roasted veggies for a complete meal.
Now get cooking
This is the best slow cooker apricot chicken to try out with your slow cooker because it’s so easy and flavoursome. For other classic retro recipes, check out these corned beef, chicken schnitzel and slow cooker beef stroganoff dishes.
